Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Flashy Yogretchen’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Flashy Yogretchen’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plants; uniform and freely flowering habit; medium-sized decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; reddish orange-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Flashy Yogretchen’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Flashy Yogretchen’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the unnamed selection in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in April, 2003. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Flashy Yogretchen has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Flashy Yogretchen’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Flashy Yogretchen’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Medium-sized decorative-type inflorescences with elongated         oblong-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Reddish orange-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent selection primarily in ray floret coloration as ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more red than ray florets of plants of the parent selection. In addition, ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more stable in color than ray florets of plants of the parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Warm Megan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,126. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Warm Megan in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly smaller         inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Warm Megan.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had fewer disc florets per         inflorescence than plants of the cultivar Warm Megan.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more red         in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Warm Megan.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Warm Megan.     -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week         earlier than plants of the cultivar Warm Megan.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Gedi Two Ran, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,407. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Ran in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of         the cultivar Gedi Two Ran.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Ran.     -   3. Developing ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum         were less red in color than developing ray florets of plants of         the cultivar Gedi Two Ran.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about five days         later than plants of the cultivar Gedi Two Ran when grown under         natural season conditions.     -   5. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was         longer lasting than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar         Gedi Two Ran.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Flashy Yogretchen’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Flashy Yogretchen’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. Rooted cuttings were planted in 15.25-cm containers, grown under artificial long day conditions (four-hour night interruption) and pinched about ten days later. About ten days after the pinch, plants were then exposed to artificial short day conditions (11.5 hours light) until flowering. During the production of the plants, temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 38° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Flashy     Yogretchen. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed     selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous             decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with             mounded crown. Stems initially upright, then somewhat             outwardly spreading; compact and mounded growth habit.             Freely branching with lateral branches potentially forming             at every node. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 29 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 38 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Aspect: Upright and             outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 2.3 cm. Width: About 1.4 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses parallel to             divergent. Texture, upper surface: Slightly pubescent.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins prominent. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More             green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: More green than 147B. Venation, upper             surface: More green than 147A. Venation, lower surface:             Close to 147B. Petiole length: About 8 mm. Petiole diameter:             About 2.5 mm. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axials. Ray             florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. About eight             inflorescences per lateral branch.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             6 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): More green than 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.4 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 3 mm; inconspicious.             Receptacle diameter: About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong-shaped. Length: About             1.6 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Corolla tube length: About             3.5 mm. Corolla tube diameter: About 1 mm. Apex: Emarginate,             rounded or acute. Margin: Fused. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Surface: Mostly flat to             eventually convex. Orientation: Initially upright, then             perpendicular to the peduncle. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 102 in numerous whorls. Color: When             opening, upper surface: 6A to 9A overlain with close to 46A.             When opening, lower surface: 6A to 6B underlain with close             to 46A. Fully opened, upper surface: 6A to 9A overlain with             close to 46A. Fully opened, lower surface: 6A to 6B more             faintly underlain with close to 46A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About             3.5 mm. Width, apex: About 1 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About twelve.             Color: Immature: Close to 9A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A.             Mid-section: Close to 144C. Base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 16. Length:             About 6 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:             Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: More             green than 147A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 3.8 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 4 mm. Style             color: Close to 154A. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from     0° C. to more than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Flashy Yogretchen’, as illustrated and described. 